Alessia: Defender, Protector, Friend
by Wolffyychu18
Summary: Alex was just a normal high school kid until an accident caused her to wake up in the Pokemon world...as a Poochyena! Go with her on her journey with Ash Ketchum and his friends to protect the world from devastation, and hopefully find out the meaning behind her weird dreams. Based on the anime, smarter!Ash, Aura. T just in case.
1. Prologue

Prelude

 ** _Lucario sir! Are you alright?_**

 _The Pokémon in question just suffered a Sand-Attack that impaired his vision, but didn't bother him much as he switched into Aura Sight._

 ** _Yes...I'm fine._** _Lucario snarled at the enemies._ _ **Let's finish this quickly.**_

 _Following my friend/teacher's example, multiple Aura Spheres exploded and the Houndoom flew from the impact. I searched for anymore adversaries, but saw and felt none around. Looking to Lucario for guidance as for what to do next, I anxiously paced around until he located our Master._

 _Although I seem like a normal Mightyena, my eyes glowed blue with the power of Aura. Sir Aaron and Lucario found me one day in the forest after my pack deserted me as a Poochyena. Because of my discolored eyes and ability to manipulate Aura, my pack, including my parents, constantly regarded me with disdain and deserted me on a foggy evening in the forest. I made the mistake of stealing an Oran berry from an Ursaring one morning due to a gnawing hunger, and I thought it was the end until a powerful Aura Sphere blasted into the angry Pokémon, releasing me from its grasp. Sir Aaron and Lucario reasoned with the powerful Pokémon, allowing me time to escape into some nearby bushes. After it left, the two Aura users searched for me and sensed the Aura from within me. Of course I grew wary of their actions, and when they found me I attacked with little strength I had left. They hardly fought back, and knew I was frightened. But they talked to me and calmed me down as well, and treated my injuries. After telling them my story, Sir Aaron decided to take me under his wing to teach me the ways of Aura. Many months passed and I evolved into a strong Mightyena, but the war soon started and our training put on hold. That's when Sir Aaron sent Lucario and me out to find the positions of the battling armies, and how the Houndoom found us._

 _After sensing Sir Aaron's presence, we evaded further enemy scouts and found Sir Aaron on a ridge above us._

 ** _I knew you'd come_** _said Lucario._

 _"_ _Lucario! What happened to your eyes?"_

 ** _Don't worry about me, Master._** _I looked at Lucario with reverence for it seemed nothing could faze him._

 _"_ _Don't call me that. I'm no longer your master." We both dropped our mouths in shock at those words, my eyes widening and ears going back. "I have abandoned the Queen and the kingdom. I'll never return."_

 _I took a step forward at those words._ _ **No…that's impossible…Sir Aaron-**_

 _He took off running as fast as he could, and Lucario chased after him. I stumbled in shock at what was happening, but quickly caught my footing and was slightly behind Lucario._

 ** _Master wait!_**

 _Aaron suddenly stopped and threw his staff, which dug into the ground right in front of Lucario, and the blue orb slowly brightened, the two decorative pieces on the side spinning tightly. I skidded to a halt, paralyzed by what was about to happen._

 ** _Sir Aaron!_**

 _Lucario suddenly dematerialized and in a stream of blue Aura was sucked into the staff. As the glow faded I could hear Lucario faintly._

 ** _Why Master…why…_** _and then he was gone._

 _I couldn't believe what just happened, but I knew that Sir Aaron wouldn't have done this by choice. I sprinted after him, not only for answers but because I felt like I owed Lucario._

 ** _Master! Where are you going?_** _ **Come back! Why did you seal Lucario in you staff?**_

 _He ran towards Pidgeot without answering my question with a desperate, determined gleam in his eyes. I sensed something troubling him over the past few days, but I never thought it would lead to this. He was up to something, and I was going to be there to help him._

 ** _I'm coming too!_**

 _That stopped him in his tracks. With worried wide eyes, Aaron said "No. I'm sorry, Alessia, but I won't let you. I can't afford-" he started, but before he could finish I growled and pounced on him, knocking him down. I even threw my grey snout in his face to make sure the message was clear._

 ** _I'm coming. And that's FINAL. If Lucario isn't able to help you then I will._**

 _Sir Aaron stared at me blankly for a moment before pushing me off him silently. With no verbal objection, we made our way separately to the Tree of Beginning. Gaining speed using Agility, I thought back to what happened with Lucario. I pitied the poor Pokémon, for I could sense the betrayal and sadness emanating from within the blue sphere. 'That could have been me…'_

 _I finally reached the giant rock structure and found my way to the main chamber after many twists and turns. As I panted to catch my breath and cool down, Sir Aaron walked to the center and began shouting._

 _"_ _Where are you? Mew!"_

 _I looked up and found Ho-oh staring down at us before a white flash emanated from the being and Mew began floating down. "Mew. I realized that you and this tree are one." Aaron held out his hand and said "Please. Take the power of my Aura and save the people." An Aura Sphere began forming in his palm._

 ** _Sir Aaron…you can't! It'll destroy you!_** _My panicked eyes watered at the thought of losing the first person who actually cared for me. I didn't want to go back to being alone…with Lucario now gone Aaron was the last person on this Earth that I could trust._

 _Aaron looked at me, a single tear rolling down his cheek._

 _"_ _I'm sorry," he whispered and then cried out to Mew._

 _"_ _Now, accept the Aura!"_

 _As the sphere grew, Aaron tightly shut his eyes and shouted out._

 _"_ _The power of Aura…will prevail!"_

 _As he turned blue from his life being drained from him, I felt deep sadness emerge from my heart, and the loneliness set in. However, I understood his point of view. He didn't want Lucario nor me to suffer this fate, which was why he sealed Lucario in the staff. It could have been me, but the staff could only hold one of us. I guess he believed that with one gone the other would desert him, but our loyalties were not only to each other, but to Aaron. With that in mind, I stood close to him so he wouldn't feel alone, but I knew that at this point there was nothing I could do to help him. I watched him drain his life away and tears fell silently on the floor below. Mew finally absorbed as much as was needed, flew to the core of the Tree, and a green pulse emanated from it. I felt the peace from the pulse, but too much worry and concern in my heart prevented me from feeling the effect. After Mew healed the land and in turn ended the war, I turned to Aaron and supported him to a crystal formation, which he immediately collapsed against. I then laid down next to him and placed my head in his lap. He began petting my black and grey fur, and talked to me to take his mind off the pain. Eventually he couldn't take it any longer, and as he faded away for good he spoke to me one last time. "Thank you for always being there for Lucario and me, and please, don't be angry. I love you both so much…you two are my best friends, and I'll never forget you…"_

 _I felt the tears streaming down my face profusely._

 ** _Your Aura will be with me…always._**

 _He smiled and closed his eyes as his body began disintegrating…_

And then I woke up.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hey Readers!**

 **Just wanted to say hello, and let you know that I'll hopefully be posting every week, depending on my schedule and such. Lemme know any questions, comments, concerns, and I really appreciate and help you can give me! Thanks!**

 **~Wolffyychu18**


	2. Dream or Memory?

**Disclaimer: No I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

I sat up in my bed, chest heaving heavily and tear streaks on my cheeks. _What the heck is going on?_ I've had this same dream multiple times with the same outcome, and I just couldn't understand why. What was my mind trying to tell me? Not to mention that it felt so real, like a distant memory. Perhaps I've been watching too much Pokémon lately…

I closed my eyes and shook my head to rid my thoughts of the dream when my alarm suddenly began blaring the radio. I jumped and cursed, immediately shutting it off instead of snoozing as I usually would. I knew I wasn't going back to sleep anyway, so I decided to use those 10 or 15 minutes to take a quick shower. Afterwards, I threw on my favorite gray Pokémon t-shirt, some faded black jeans, and my black converse. I snuck a peek at the mirror, and decided that it would be useless to try to force my wavy, thick, dark hair into anything other than a side-braid.

It always surprised me when I braided my hair this way, as the gray streak in my hair stood out. In the past it annoyed me, and I've tried dyeing it but the dye faded after a few days no matter what I did.

"Alex if you don't hurry you'll be late for school!" cried my mom. I rolled my blue eyes dramatically while grabbing a bagel and my favorite coffee mug to go, and picked up my backpack and drawing notebook next to the door. A quick look at my phone showed that I had more than enough time, so I began contemplating the meaning behind my dream while walking to school. Even though a good hour has passed, I still remembered the details as clearly as though I just woke up. No other dreams I've had before were like this, and it unnerved me. But once I made it to school, I pushed the dream to the back of my mind to focus on more mundane things, like math. But as the day passed, my dream just kept popping up in my head, and a few times I found myself zoning in class. In order to try to stay awake I doodled in my notebook absentmindedly.

At lunch, my friends and I gathered in our usual lunch classroom and sat in our designated seats. But I couldn't concentrate on what my friends were talking about because the dream continued to consume my thoughts, and I whipped out my notebook to doodle to distract myself.

"Alex?"

I jumped, slightly jarring the desk array and causing everyone to stare at me. I sweat dropped and chuckled nervously.

"What's up?"

"Are you okay?" asked one of my friends. "You've seemed a bit out of it lately."

I stared at her, trying to think up a decent response.

"Well…it's just that…" I sighed and decided to tell the truth. "I've been having a reoccurring dream lately, and I'm just trying to figure out what it means." Well, the half-truth. They don't need to know the details, right?

My friends looked at me strangely before nodding and tried fishing for more information, but I skirted around and eventually they dropped the topic. I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to describe my dream to them anyway. I mean, everyone knows I'm the local PokéManiac, but to have dreamt something like this must be plain weird. Eventually the ten-minute warning bell rang, and everybody went their separate ways.

In a haze, I walked up the stairs to get to my locker, and robotically inserted the combination. I placed my drawing notebook in my locker for organizational purposes, and the five-minute warning bell blared throughout the halls. Quickly sifting through my binders and such, I slammed the locker shut. However, I realized that I forgot to put my notebook back in my backpack after walking a few steps away. Cursing silently at myself, I reopened my locker and hastily retrieved my notebook. It opened to a random page, and I found that I had drawn a Lucario, a Mightyena, and a guy that looked like Sir Aaron from my dream. A frown appeared on my face as I flipped through the rest of the notebook, and found different scenarios from my dream on every page from the past few days. I slammed the book closed, and walked back to the stairs with notebook in hand. I groaned as people pushed up and down the long, spiral staircase, and prepared myself for the worst. Eventually somebody shoved me hard enough that my arm hit the railing, causing me to lose my grip on my notebook. It drifted to the ground level, and I precariously leaned over the rails to get a better look at where it landed. At that moment I saw something pink out of the corner of my eye before I felt myself tip over the edge due to all the shoving and pushing, and a shrill scream cut through the hum of voices as I plummeted head first down to the ground. Before impact, I heard a voice in my head.

 **He needs your help, Alessia. Guide him well through his journey…**

Then everything went black.

* * *

 **A/N:  
Hahaha...wonder what Alex is gonna have to deal with now? Guess you'll find out soon! Fav/follow if ya want. Thanks for the support!**

~Wolffyychu18


	3. The Pokémon World?

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

A bright light filtered through my eyelids and I slowly opened them while yawning. _Feels like I've been out for awhile…_

I blinked sleepily, and two bright, curious, brown eyes stared right at me. Wide-eyed and paralyzed with fear, I could only believe I was dreaming about giants. But when the boy with raven hair spoke, I instantly recognized his voice, albeit a higher tone than what I was used to.

"Hey Mom? It's a Poochyena, right?"

I started a bit at what he said, and cocked my head to the side in contemplation when I felt something soft and silky hit my forehead. I paused with furrowed brows, looked down at my hands and instead found paws.

 _WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING?_

I stood on all fours, and maneuvered myself in order to try to take a look at my appearance. I had gray fur with black paws, and finally noticed my small black snout. I wagged a fluffy tail and moved my ears to get a feel for them. I sat down as realization hit me, and immediately got lost in thought.

 _How…how is this even possible? I have GOT to be dreaming. There's no freakin' way…just…no…_

I froze completely, which obviously concerned the young Ketchum. Somebody lifted me from the blanket I was on, and I numbly looked down and registered an incubation case for an egg. I looked back up and recognized the woman holding me as Delia Ketchum.

"Aren't you such a cutie? Though I've never heard or seen a Poochyena with blue eyes unless they were shiny. But it seems to fit you!" She smiled sweetly while petting my head, and I sensed that she meant no harm. But she only existed in the anime. Which wasn't real…

I looked back to the ground, and she carefully put me down. I stood straight-legged for a split second before passing out from shock.

~/o/~

 _I quivered on the ground, praying that this would end quickly. The Ursaring grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and held me up high. My eyes grew large and round as I stared death in the face, and the giant bear roared, causing a whimper to escape my throat as I shook uncontrollably. I heard a whistling sound before being thrown to the ground by a small explosion. I quickly looked up to find the Ursaring facing a new opponent, a Lucario. I immediately clambered away from the area into some bushes where I could watch the battle safely. However, no other attacks came as a human walked in between the Pokémon with his hands up. I couldn't hear what was being said, but he seemed to calm down the angry bear, whom finally decided to leave. I sighed a breath of relief to live another day, but then I sensed a couple of strong Aura presences walking toward me. I shrunk back into the foliage, trying to hide myself from sight. But I didn't realize that they could sense me as well, and the human knelt down with his hand out, palm down in front of the bush I was in._

 _"_ _Don't worry, Poochyena. We promise we're not here to hurt you. The Ursaring has left, and we only wish to tend to your injuries."_

 _I bared my teeth at the human and growled softly, trying to scare them away. But the human only shifted closer. At that point I felt threatened and bit his hand softly, but only as a warning. He winced slightly, but then a small smile appeared on his face as he picked me up. I struggled with all my might, but could not escape for exhaustion set in and I passed out._

 _~/o/~_

Sometime later, I woke up on a cool, soft examination table. Standing up and shaking myself off, I replayed my dream and noticed how it was different this time, but decided that now was not the time to think about it. I had a bigger problem on my hands…or paws.

 _I guess this ain't a dream, then._

I judged the distance to the floor, pounced off, and landed lightly and safely on the tile.

 _Huh. That was easy._

A door was open on the other side of the room, so I wandered out and searched for anything that could show my reflection clearly. A couple of rooms down I found a floor length mirror and steeled myself for what I was about to see. I opened my eyes to a Poochyena staring at me, but a couple things stood out. For one, my right ear flopped. Second, normal Poochyena have red and yellow eyes, but mine were blue and white like a human's, as I vaguely remember Delia mentioning. However, my thoughts were interrupted when I felt myself lifted off the ground by a pair of careful but strong hands. Of course this startled me to no end and I struggled briefly against my captor, but once he spoke I stiffened up immediately.

"Hello, Poochyena."

My head whipped up towards the voice, cracking my neck. My eyes widened again, and my nose twitched.

"Don't worry I won't hurt you. I'm only here to help," said Professor Oak. I never stopped to think about where I could be, especially after I had fainted back at the Ketchum residence.

 _Okay, Professor Oak is not a bad guy…I should be able to trust him._

I looked up at his kind, dark eyes and gave a couple of tentative shakes of my tail before I rested my head on his arm. He brought me into the living room where Ash and his mom waited, and I patiently waited for Oak to put me down. Ash approached me cautiously with worry in his eyes as my paws touched the ground, and I knew that I owed him comfort. He knelt down with his hand out, palm down, as one should approach a dog.

"Hello Poochyena. I'm Ash. I hope we can be friends!"

Suddenly the dream I had flashed in my mind briefly as Ash had assumed the same position as Sir Aaron. I decided to sniff his hand to commit his scent to memory, and then licked his hand once while wagging my tail slowly as a sign of friendship. He smiled brightly and picked me up in a hug. A wave of joy and calm washed over me while something resonated within me as soon as contact was made, and I knew from that point forward our paths were intertwined.

* * *

 **A/N:  
Yeah, I said weekly, but hey I finished it fairly quickly and I'd rather not forget about it. ...yay! /o/**


	4. Growing Pains

**Disclaimer: DOP (Don't own Pokemon)**

* * *

Believe it or not, imagining a life in a fictional world is completely different from experiencing it. First of all, the screeching of a Dodrio at 5:30 in the morning every day can get old really fast. But I'd take that over waking up on the floor sore from being kicked or punched out of bed by a restless 5 year old. Of course I love Ash to death, and we're partners through and through, but it'd be nice to wake up after a restful night sleep and not have new bruises. Quite frankly I'm thinking of creating a make-shift bed on the floor next to his bed until he grows out of the "moving" phase…

Speaking of restful nights, even if I sleep on the floor I doubt I'd actually get through the night without waking up from the countless number of dreams I have. I swear, every night my head jerks up, ears alert to every sound, and ready to attack. My heart pounds from whatever I experienced, and most of the time I don't even remember what happened. However, the times I vaguely remember a dream, it's been different from the "Lucario getting sucked into the staff and Sir Aaron dying" dreams I used to have. But they all still involve those two characters, and it confuses me to no end. I wish I could figure out what my mind's trying to tell me, but since I've got no leads or real clues, I'll just have to deal with them.

I forgot to mention how I'm not human anymore. Being a Pokémon has its perks, but it takes some getting used to. Walking on four legs without tripping? Not being able to see what Delia's making on the stove? Using the bathroom outside? Those were tough to deal with. But hearing a flock of Pidgey from over a mile away, or knowing that Delia has dinner on that stove when Ash and I are at Oak's lab? It was nice. Do I miss being a human? Sometimes. But being in the Pokémon world with none other than Ash Ketchum and helping him learn about the world he lives in and understand the creatures that reside around him is priceless. Albeit challenging…

~/o/~

 _I swear this kid is going to kill me one day…_

Ash continued running around the pond haphazardly as if a bird Pokémon. I smiled softly as laughter rang through the air, but kept a wary eye on him from where I laid in case of trouble. Delia trusted me with her son, and since he's now 6 years old, his curiosity and adventurous spirit grew evermore.

"Poochyena! Come play with me!"

I stared at him, hung my head, and knew I couldn't refuse him. I stood from my shady spot from underneath a tree, shook out my fur, and jogged over to where he was. I panted and turned my head questioningly as if asking what he wanted me to do. We had figured out a way to communicate since I couldn't necessarily speak to him, and until we found a better way I made due with gestures and looks.

"Let's play tag!" A sneaky glint flashed in his eyes as he yelled "Tag! You're it!"

He took off in a dead sprint around the pond, and I allowed a few seconds to pass as a headstart before beginning my chase. _You're not getting away from me that easily, Ash Ketchum!_

"Bet'cha can't catch me-Woah!" Coming to a dead stop, I watched Ash slip on some mud and knock into an unsuspecting Poliwag. I cringed, and quickly made my way over to the two fallen, noticing that the Poliwag didn't seem to take the accident well. I nudged Ash with my snout, and snuffled him all over until he laughed and looked at me.

"I'm okay! Thanks, Poochyena!" He looked at Poliwag, and his eyes widened out of fear, for the Pokémon glared at us before rearing back to shoot out a Water Gun. Quickly, I jumped in front of the attack to shield Ash from danger, and shook off the water before growling menacingly at the Poliwag. Luckily that intimidated it and the Pokémon jumped before rushing back to the pond where it lived. I then sighed, and decided to check up on my young friend. His eyes glassed with tears as he forcefully lifted me up into a hug.

"Are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you? I'm so sorry!" Those tears fell without resistance, and he held me closer as he fell to his knees. I barked at him once, causing him to fall silent while whipping his head in my direction. I wiggled out of his grip and landed in front of him. With his full attention on me, I reprimanded him for his behavior and told him to be more careful next time in my own way. After my rant finished, Ash stared at me with sorrowful eyes, and I knew he understood me. I licked his cheek quickly, letting him know I forgave him and then remembered that we never finished our game of tag. I crouched down with my tail wagging in the air in a playful manner, and lunged at him, knocking him over. I then raced away from him for a short distance before crouching again and barking a few times until he got the message. His bright smile appeared once again, and I led him away from the pond back towards Oak's lab.

~/o/~

As time passed, I realized that Ash would be starting his journey soon. Even though I still had a few years, I worried that I wouldn't be strong enough to help him. It was at that point I knew that I needed to train.

Now, training was interesting, for I watched the anime, played the games, and read some manga, but all barely mention how to truly train Pokémon. Obviously battling other Pokémon helped immensely, but I felt totally unprepared to command my own body to attack. I then decided to get into the best shape I could, and practice whatever attacks I knew along with gaining speed, strength, and agility. I thought back to my P.E. classes and to when I played sports to figure out where to begin.

My first training regimen focused solely on building up my physical body and practicing basic attacks. I would jog a few miles to build up endurance, and then I'd do some agility work by weaving in and out of bushes and trees. Sprints would come next, and I'd focus on how my paws connected with the earth beneath me in order to optimize speed. With my attacks, tree stumps would be my opponent and I'd practice my tackle, and biting twigs helped build up my jaw strength. Every day I would practice, and I'd go to bed sore and tired. Soon I felt that I was ready to battle, and one day, I walked towards Route 1 by myself to find some wild Pokémon.

 **A/N:  
Apparently I only have the ability to write stories late at night. *sigh* Probably because my mind doesn't work in sweltering heat haha  
Stay tuned! Review, Fav/Follow if that is what you wish ;)  
~Wolffyychu18**


	5. First Battle

_"_ _Poké-speak"_

 **Ash would grow if I owned Pokémon, but I don't.**

* * *

I made my way cautiously into the grass on Route 1, my ears and eyes alert to every rustle and shadow. Remembering the videogames, Pidgey and Rattata were the only Pokémon that appeared. However, in the anime the Spearow flock attacked Ash and Pikachu, so I was ready for whatever came at me. As soon as I left the first patch of grass I heard movement from behind me.

 _"_ _Who's there?"_

My fur stood on end, and I suddenly doubted myself and my battling skills. Practice makes perfect, but I had no clue what I was getting myself into. A strained growl sneaked past my bared teeth as I took a step backwards.

 _"_ _I'm warning you! Either attack or run!"_

Yeah, I wanted to battle, but the thought of actually fighting made me apprehensive. I'm not…or wasn't…a violent person, and would rather avoid conflict. Something suddenly sprang up from the tall grass, and I jumped and yelped out of surprise.

"Poochyena?"

I stared at the child with my head tilted in confusion, and almost immediately my eyes widened as soon as I processed who he was. _What the hell is he doing here? He could get hurt from the wild Pokémon around here, and he doesn't have Pikachu to save him!_

He edged towards me slowly as he wrung his hands and kept looking around. I could tell that he was frightened, and knew I needed to get him home quickly and safely. I snorted out of my nose to catch his attention and walked towards him. Ash knelt down and immediately hugged me.

"I couldn't find you at home, and when I looked outside I saw you walking away so I thought that you were leaving and I got scared and please don't leave Poochyena I'm sorry for whatever I did you're my best friend and-"

I licked him profusely just to make him stop, and wagged my tail hard and quick while whining to let him know that I would never leave. He smiled and laughed softly, and then set me back down.

"Let's go home, okay? We shouldn't be out here…" A small frown appeared on his face and I could feel the worry set in. I tugged at his shorts to let him know it was time to leave, and we started back towards Pallet. However, after a few feet I heard more rustling from behind us, and I immediately let out a cautionary growl.

"Uh…Poochyena?" I turned around and found myself facing a Rattata.

 _"_ _Get out of here! This is my territory!"_ I breathed out slowly, and gulped a bit. My head lifted bravely, and then nodded.

 _"_ _I apologize for intruding…but I need to take my young friend back home, so if you'll allow us to leave…"_ The Rattata then glared at me and bared its teeth. Apparently it didn't believe me, and I knew arguing wouldn't help our case. My first battle was about to begin. I looked up at Ash, and barked once as a warning. His brows crinkled as he breathed deeply before standing straighter. I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow, and Ash looked at Rattata with courage.

"Rattata! My friend and I challenge you to a battle!" My jaw dropped as my ears went back against my head, but I quickly shook myself to get ready to fight. I shakily stepped forward, and got into an athletic position, meaning legs bent and head down. The Rattata seemed to size me up, and ran forward to make the first move.

~/o/~

 ** _Sir Aaron, are you sure she's ready for battle?_**

 _"_ _Don't worry, Lucario. She's trained long and hard, and will be quite alright."_

 _I looked back at my teachers with confidence in my heart and faced my opponent: a Zigzagoon. It seemed to watch me warily before making the first move. I sprang out of the way of the incoming Tackle, and our battle had_ begun.

~/o/~

I shook my head to bring back my focus, and was suddenly tackled to the ground by my opponent. _Shoot!_ I immediately stood back up and glared at the Rattata. When I searched behind me for my trainer, I found Ash staring at me with fear and worry in his eyes. I sensed his nervousness, but I gave him a toothy smile and panted in a relaxed manner to let him know everything would be alright. He smiled back in return, and threw his hand out in front of him as he stated his first command.

"Alright Poochyena! Give 'em a Tackle!" I nodded in confirmation, and sprang forward quickly. The Rattata dodged, and I skidded to stop.

"Try using Bite!" I showed my teeth and ran at the purple mouse once again. As the Rattata tried dodging again, I bit down on its tail, causing it to yelp out of pain and surprise. I let go, and coughed to get the loose hairs out of my mouth. _That didn't taste good. Yuck!_ The Rattata then prepared itself for an attack, and its teeth shined bright. _Ah, poop._

"Dodge Poochyena!" _No, duh. I ain't getting hit with those chompers!_ I danced around the Rattata's attack, and looked around to see some thick branches on the ground. _Now that's an idea_.

Ash had confusion written all over his face until he saw the sticks too. "Do it Poochyena!" I grinned and grabbed the largest stick I could find. The Rattata ran at me once again and I stuffed the stick to force the rat's mouth open. It struggled to get it out of its mouth, and with that I gave it the hardest Tackle I could produce. It landed in a nearby bush, stick knocked to the ground, and I stood my ground panting hard.

"Is it over?" Ash asked. I continued staring at the bush until it rustled and the Rattata tumbled out.

 _"_ _Okay, Poochyena. You win. You may pass."_ I jumped and barked a " _Thanks!"_ I then proceeded to grab the hem of Ash's shorts to make sure he followed me away.

~/o/~

The next day, Ash and I walked up hill and rested against the tree. The view of the town below and the surrounding hillside really took my breath away every time I saw it. I curled up against Ash, head on my paws, as he stroked my fur. The peaceful atmosphere, along with the cool breeze and cloudless sky, really made me appreciate the moment. I knew that I needed to continue to work hard at getting stronger and refine my battle skills, but nothing said I couldn't enjoy a lazy day with my best friend.

"Hey, Poochyena?" My ears twitched before I let out a yawn. "I think I want to become a Pokémon Trainer." I placed my head on his lap, letting him know I was listening. "I really liked battling with you, and I wanna help other Pokémon get stronger and grow. Maybe I'll even be a Pokémon Master!" He then stood up excitedly, bouncing up and down like the little kid he was. He looked at me and smiled brightly, then crouched, arms around his legs. "Wanna go on a journey with me? We can both get big and strong together!" I smiled at his antics and barked in agreement, standing quickly and wagging my tail hard in shared excitement.

"Let's be the best there ever was!"

 _Heh. Gotta catch 'em all…_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks for reading! Thoughts, comments, concerns? Questions? Lemme know!**


	6. The Night Before

**Don't Own Pokemon, bros.**

* * *

A few years later…

"Ash! Dinner's ready!"

"Alright! Come on, Alex! I'll race ya downstairs!"

 **I'll give you a head start…**

Ash sprinted out of his disaster area of a room, with clothes, blankets, and pillows strewn all over the place in preparation of the long journey ahead. I chuckled at his behaviour before lithely pouncing out the room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen, passing Ash in the process. I sat right next to Ash's chair, patiently waiting for him to enter. Wheezing, Ash clutched the doorway with one hand and had his other on his leg while hunched over.

"Okay…you win…but one day…I'll beat you…" After catching his breath, Ash plopped into his chair, eyes starry-eyed at all of his food in front of him.

"I wanted to make sure you had a great homemade dinner before you left, honey."

"Thanks, Mom! I love it! You do too, right, Alex?"

As Delia placed a full plate down in front of me, I barked and wagged my tail in gratitude. She chuckled at my response, and while the two humans discussed tomorrow, I ate slowly, taking in my surroundings and embedding them in my memory. I stayed in this house for 5 years, and will always return to it, no matter how long I've been away. Delia served as my surrogate parent, taking care of me when I couldn't, and basically training me on how to take care of Ash in her own way.

After we finished, Ash made his way back upstairs to finish packing, and before I could follow him, Delia stopped me.

"Poochy-I mean, Alex. Come here for a moment." I turned around and walked back towards her with my head tilted. "I've been meaning to talk to you, but things got a bit hectic, huh?" She picked me up and slowly walked towards the couch. Settling herself, I felt a hand smoothing the fur on my back. I decided to rest and laid my head on her lap, closing my eyes to listen intently.

"I always knew that Ash would be a Pokémon Trainer, even before you came into our lives. He's always had a love for Pokémon. But these past few years have made me realize how serious he actually is, with him going to Professor Oak for help and learning as much as he could from that man. But I'm nervous about it, Alex. I'm always going to worry about him, wondering if he's alright and not in trouble." She stopped petting my fur, and my right ear twitched before I raised my head to look at her. "Not that he would be in trouble. I mean, he's got you with him." She turned me around, and I sat on her lap alertly, though my right ear still flopped. At this she giggled, and I relaxed, with my tongue hanging out of my mouth as I panted a bit. She ruffled the fur on my head and smiled. "Alex, please take care of my son. Promise me that you'll return him safe and sound. That's all I ask of you." I tilted my head down, closed my eyes, and sought out my Aura. Once I tapped into it, I looked back up to Delia with glowing blue eyes.

 **I promise.**

~/o/~

I trotted along a dirt path, heading up to the tree Ash and I usually frequent after a long day. I passed Oak's Lab on the way, and stopped slowly as I stared at the pale building in the moonlight.

 _"_ _Hey Professor Oak!"_

 _"_ _Yes, Ash?"_

 _"_ _Um…I was wondering…do you need any help at your lab?"_

 _"_ _Oh…well…"_

 _"_ _Please Professor? I wanna help so I can learn all about Pokémon! I wanna be a Pokémon master!"_

 _Oak chuckled. "Okay, okay. But it's going to be hard work, young man."_

 _"_ _That's okay! Me and Poochyena can handle anything!"_

I chuckled at the memory, and how excited Ash really was to start learning more about the creatures he loved. I then stared out into the forest and saw a group of Butterfree flying out of the trees, silver powder tracing their path. My tail wagged slightly, and I looked down, remembering when I first learned about my Aura…and how dangerous it was.

 _"_ _Hey, Houndoom?"_

 _"_ _Yeah?"_

 _"_ _I was wondering…is it normal to sometimes sense where the opponent is even when you aren't looking_ _?"_

 _Houndoom cocked his head in thought. "_ _Well, I suppose it depends on how close that opponent is_ _."_

 _"_ _I mean when it's on the other side of the field_ _."_

 _"_ _And it's not coming at you or making a sound_ _?"_

 _"_ _Mmm-hmm_ _."_

 _Houndoom contemplated for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "_ _Why don't we test your words right now_ _."_

 _"_ _Uh…are you sure…?_ _"_

 _"_ _Yeah, why not? Now's a better time than any._ _"_

 _We then made our way to an open field within the trees and stood on opposite sides. The image of several Houndoom around me and Lucario pricked my thoughts before I shooed it away. Now was not the time to think about my dreams. Houndoom then nodded his head, and I closed my eyes. My breathing evened out and I perked my ears, straining to hear padding of paws or claws scratching the dirt. However, I heard absolutely nothing. Then I sensed a presence coming towards me from my right side and I briefly saw a glimpse of Houndoom's form. I immediately stiffenedd, and I suddenly felt threatened. I knew he wasn't an enemy, really, but pure anger welled up within me at the sight of his form, and I began charging up energy in front of my mouth. A blue ball appeared, and I opened my eyes to find terror and surprise written all over his face before I released that energy. The blast from impact blew me backwards, and everything went black._

 _I woke up alone, and immediately my ears flattened against my head while I curled up within myself. At least half of the surrounding trees were obliterated and scorch marks replaced most of the grass in the field.._

 _"_ _HOUNDOOM! WHERE ARE YOU_ _?" I frantically searched around until I found a black figure in the shadow of the forest, and I scampered over to my fallen friend. Once I reached him I skidded to a stop and shivered in fear. My friend looked worse for wear. I whimpered, and began snuffling him to try to wake him up. Slowly Houndoom's eyes opened, and tears began falling._

 _"_ _Houndoom…I…I'm sorry!_ _"_

 _Fear crept into those glassy reddish-brown eyes, and only one word dropped into the silence._

 _"_ _Aura_ _."_

 _I stared at him blankly, not believing what he just said. Aura? Like my dreams? That's when everything clicked inside and I realized that my "dreams" were actually past memories of my time with Sir Aaron and Lucario. I sat down in shock, and returned my focus on Houndoom._

 _Houndoom then looked at me with pity. "_ _Poochyena…you have so much power within you. It's not your fault. You just can't control it yet._ _" He then tenderly rolled onto his belly, and then gave me a serious look. I cringed under his stare, and kept my head down. He then smirked slightly and told me something that flabbergasted me. "_ _Poochyena. Your Aura is very strong, and I'm proud to have helped you realize your gift_ _." He kept talking but I couldn't hear what he was saying. I kept trying to process this information until I heard a sharp bark._

 _"_ _Huh_ _?"_

 _"_ _I asked if you could find Professor Oak…unless you want to carry me over to the lab_ _."_

I howled, wondering if Houndoom or any other of my friends were awake. I heard a couple of answering calls back, and I smirked in response. I already said my good-byes earlier today, so this was just a final farewell since I probably wouldn't be seeing them tomorrow. None of them were morning Pokémon.

I continued up the path until I found our hill, and I raced up it, feeling the grains of dirt underneath my paws and the wind across my fur. I circled the tree until I found a comfortable spot, and I took a seat on the grass in front of the moon. It was at this spot that I first spoke to Ash.

 _"_ _Hey, Poochyena! I bet I can beat you up the hill!" I grinned in response, and we both took off up the path. Ash worked hard in Oak's lab that day, and learned all about dog-like Pokémon, including the Poochyena line. He kept bouncing up and down while he waited for me to finish my training with Houndoom, who became my own personal Pokétrainer. I beat him again, and Ash leaned against the tree, trying to catch his breath._

 _"_ _I…will…beat…you…someday…"_

 ** _Not anytime soon._**

 _Ash paused, hands still on his knees. He looked around for the source of the voice, and his eyes met mine once again._

 _"_ _Poochyena, did you hear that?" I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow. "I heard a voice…but I don't know where it came from." I looked away for a moment before a thought entered my mind. I decided to test it out, so I closed my eyes and tried to talk to him. However, I had no response. Thinking it was a fluke, I reached inside to find my Aura, and tried to connect with Ash. It took a few times, and each time I failed he felt a slight shock, causing him to furrow his brows in confusion. Once I succeeded, I began my experiment again._

 ** _Ash?_**

 _"_ _Huh? Who's there?"_

 ** _Ash. It's me._**

 _"_ _Who's 'me'?"_

 ** _The Pokémon in front of you, silly._** _At this Ash's eyes widened as large as the moon, and he crouched down to try to get level with me._

 _"_ _Poochyena?"_

 ** _Well, my real name is Alex, but whatever you wanna call me is okay._**

 _"_ _O-oh…okay. I-I'll call you by y-your r-real name, th-then."_

 ** _What's wrong?_**

 _"_ _Uh…you're TALKING. That usually doesn't happen! This is crazy! How are you doing that?"_

 ** _Long story short, I have a…gift…to use…Aura, which is kinda hard to explain at the moment since I don't fully understand it myself. But it gives me special talents like sensing my surroundings with my eyes closed and boosting my attack power along with being able to connect with others and speak to them._**

 _Ash looked at me with so much confusion that I knew it all went over his head._

 ** _Okay. Well, maybe you'll get it later. But I have a question: are my eyes glowing?_** _Ash stared at my eyes, causing my ears to go back in unease._

 _"_ _Yeah…"_

 ** _Okay, okay. That's enough._** _I pushed his face back with my paw, causing him to fall backwards. We laughed, and then we began talking. About everything._

It didn't take long for my eyes to stop glowing whenever I spoke to Ash since we had such a strong bond to begin with. However, he was the only one who I could do this with. Yeah, I could speak to everyone, but the amount of Aura energy spent in the action depended on how well I knew the person. Hence why I didn't speak to strangers, nor Ash's friends. But I did talk occasionally to Delia and Professor Oak, especially when they had questions that I could answer.

After some time passed, I sensed somebody walking up the hill. I immediately closed my eyes and sparked my Aura to look at my surroundings, where I found a bright, strong, blue soul coming my way. I relaxed, and turned my head to look at Ash. He smiled at me and sat down next to me, and I jumped in his lap.

"Hey, Alex. What are you doin' up here all alone?"

 **Just thinking.**

"'Bout what?" I tilted my head back to look at Ash.

 **Of the past, and how everything we've done has led up to this moment. Think you're ready?**

"Oh yeah!" He scratched my behind my ear subconsciously. "I believe we're both ready for the challenges up ahead. Don't you?"

 **As long as we're together, there's nothing we can't do.** I crawled out of his lap, took one last look at the Moon, and started back towards the house. **We need to get to bed…unless you wanna be late for your first day as a Pokémon Trainer.**

"But I'm too excited to sleep!" I glared at him. "Fine, I'll see what I can do."

 **I need to make sure you have everything, too.**

"What, you don't trust me? Oh, how you've hurt me!" We laughed and walked back home, together.

* * *

 **A/N:  
** **So, this is my longest chapter so far. Just wondering, do y'all like long chapters? Lemme know. Thanks for reading!  
** **~Wolffyychu18**


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